Douglas A. Lapins Pinehurst Douglas A. Lapins, age 78 of Pinehurst, NC, died at his home on January 31, 2017.  His wife of 56 years, Ginny, was with him at the time of his death. He was born on October 30, 1938 in Chicago, Ill., to Marion Ellis Lapins and Alvin W. Lapins. He grew up in Fresno, Calif., where he graduated from high school. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1961. He began his career as an industrial engineer with Spreckels Sugar Company in Salinas, Calif., moving into management at a number of factories in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and Illinois. When he retired, he was CEO and President of A. E. Staley. After 38 years in business, he left corporate life and took his management skills to overseas companies as a volunteer with International Executive Service Corps in Romania, the Ukraine, Moldova, and Peru.  In 1997, he and Ginny moved to Pinehurst, where he embarked on a third career as a civic leader and community volunteer. He was elected to the Pinehurst Village Council and served for a decade as a tireless advocate for balancing growth with preserving the historic quality of the Village. He was also a member of numerous nonprofit boards. In 2016, he wrote an award-winning memoir about his life and experiences, "Sweet Success: A Journey of Change and Challenge." A memorial service will be held 2PM Saturday, February 4, 2017 at Pinehurst United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Hall Lapins; two daughters Laura (John) Willis of Sewanee, Tenn., and Katie (Chris) Trujillo of Denver, Colo; two grandsons, Addison Willis and Aaron Willis; and his brothers Mark Lapins of Sparks, Nev., and Michael Lapins of San Diego, Calif. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Vicki Lapins Behm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Family Promise of Moore County, NC, www.familypromiseofmoorecounty.org or to the Prancing Horses Therapeutic Riding Center www.prancing-horse.org Online condolences can be made to www.bolesfuneralhome.com Boles Funeral Home of Pinehurst is serving the family.